


Perfect Match

by tobefree0714



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Ghosts, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 10:22:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11461626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tobefree0714/pseuds/tobefree0714
Summary: Aiba sees dead people ... sort of.





	Perfect Match

**Author's Note:**

> Reposted from Aiba Exchange 2016. Full of typos and plot holes. Just didn't want to lose the first fic I had posted publicly!

Nino sits perched on the edge of the bed and through the open door watches the man in the mirror watching him back with little curiosity. It's a common myth that ghosts have no reflection. Nino supposes the novelty of his presence has worn off already and the look his friend and lover; ex-lover now he supposes, is giving him seems to be one of mild annoyance. Nino watches Aiba's back as he brushes his teeth, oddly curious as to when over the past year, it has become so defined and muscular. His fingers tingle at the memory of the warmth of his skin. He looks down at his fingers and like he has many times since the time of his untimely demise he wonders if he really has fingers. Since the world turned upside down and got all fuzzy he isn't certain of anything. Odd the things you think of when you're dead.

Aiba spits white foam into the sink and rinses his mouth and then saunters into the bedroom barely paying Nino any attention. Nino smiles. Nino waves. Aiba simply tugs a shirt over his head, shakes his shaggy, highlighted hair into place, grabs his bag and heads for the door. Nino sighs or at the very least makes the gesture of a sigh, you know since he doesn't breathe anymore. The gentle clicking of the lock is Nino's cue and he melts into the bed. He'll try again tomorrow. Just like he has tried every day for 10 months 17days and roughly 8 hours.

Aiba takes the 7:05 train and instead of getting off at the station that will lead him to the animal clinic where he works he takes it to his old university campus. At this time of day, the courtyard tucked between the fine arts building and the main administration building is not very crowded. He glances around the few filled seats and does not see who he is looking for. A quick glance at his watch tells him that he'll have a short wait. He picks a table on the far side of the courtyard and he waits. All the while scanning his surroundings for the apparition he knows is not there. He's never there. He's only ever at home.

Jun sees him crossing the manicured lawn and excuses himself from the student who has been prattling on about Mozart and he wishes to fail the student on the simple fact that the only famous composer he can name is Mozart. He curses the day Nino died leaving him to deal with his music students. Jun stops at a vending machine procuring two overly strong coffees and goes to meet his old friend. He wishes he could tell him. Wishes he could make him see that the other side of death was not a bleak reality. He'd dealt with death before so he understood this and perhaps Aiba, given more time would understand this too.

"You look like hell. Drink this." Jun says pouring himself into the seat across from Aiba, sliding the coffee into front of him. He knows he's not a fan of the drink, but judging from the dark circles under his eyes he could use it. Aiba simply nods in his direction and continues to stare at a far distant spot. Jun follows his gaze and can find nothing of any interest in the potted fern his friends gaze is locked on; except that maybe it could use some water. He snaps his fingers in front of Aiba's face to get his attention. "Is he here?" Jun asks and Aiba finally makes eye contact and shakes his head. "But you saw him again." He says and Aiba nods, his movements rigid. 

It has been a year since the accident. Well, 10 months 17 days and roughly, Jun checks his watch, 9 hours since the day that sent Aiba's life into a tailspin, but who's counting. As deaths went it wasn't an overly dramatic or spectacular one. Just a dark road, a rainy night and a scared deer. It had been quick; over in an instant. Then Aiba had woken up to a different reality than he'd ever know and for 10 month 17 days and roughly 9 hours he'd been walking around in a nightmare and it was time he woke up.

Aiba leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees and sighs deeply, he can't believe he's about to do what he came here to do, but this all needs to needs. He's going crazy he can feel it. The last fragile grip he has on reality is slipping and if he doesn't do something soon he'll slip under the dark waves of insanity and be lost forever. Thanks for dying you sonofabitch!

"I need to see him J." Aiba says adopting the nickname only Nino had ever used and he almost smiles at the annoyed twitch that pulls at Jun's right eye. 

"Who?" Jun asks but he knows full well where this is going. It's a conversation they'd attempted to have a few times with Jun shutting it down before Aiba could commit to doing something stupid. 

"Your ghost doctor." Jun sputters on his coffee at the words ghost doctor, not merely because of Aiba's sarcastic tone, but because he knew the ire it would draw if their owner ever heard them and this brings Jun a source of pleasure he'd never admit to another living soul.

Paranormal Psychology was a pseudo-science at best and one he'd cautioned his longtime friend against, but he supposed that when one found out that their childhood imaginary friend had been a real person at one time there really was no room to argue. Jun had no doubt that the ghost doctor could help Aiba, but he wondered at what cost.

"Come on." Aiba says in a tone that is a little too full of anticipation. "Take me to your leader." 

Across the courtyard, through a small musty library and up a back staircase they traveled until they came to a rather boring looking door. Aiba didn't know what he expected, maybe some mist coming from underneath perhaps. Aiba had little time to notice the shingle that hung by the door: Sho Sakurai, PhD Paranormal Psychology. Ghost doctor, Aiba thought to himself and rolled his eyes as Jun knocked twice and opened the door. 

With a flutter of his wrist Jun issued him inside and pulled the door closed as soon as he crossed the threshold. Aiba thought that there could have at least been a spooky creak to the door but it simply closed with a soft click. Aiba looked around and was rather unimpressed with the surroundings. He'd never met someone who claimed to talk to ghosts or whatever it was he did, but the rather sterile office was not what he had envisioned. There were no cobwebs or goblets of blood. No black cat with yellow eyes. Just stacks of books and papers everywhere and a rather handsome man standing across from him eyeing him with open curiosity.

"I put the skeleton away." The man says dryly and Aiba cocks an eyebrow at him. "You must be Aiba Masaki. Professor Matsumoto speaks highly of you." The doctor says extending his hand. Aiba takes it, shakes it firmly. The doctor’s fingers are long and slender and rather cold. Vampire, Aiba thinks to himself and chuckles only to notice the rather serious frown staring back at him. "Please have a seat."

"Thank you...Doctor?"

"Please call me Sho. What brings you here?" He asks then clicks his pen and waits.

Aiba takes a long look at him, this curious doctor. He's dressed in dark jeans and a simple white button down shirt over which he wears a buttoned heather grey vest. The sleeves of his shirt are rolled up his forearms and on his left wrist is a watch that looks rather expensive. On his nose is a perched a pair of stylish glasses and Aiba wonders if he truly needs them or if they just help him to look the part. He's meticulous. Every hair is even perfectly in place, even the ones hanging slightly in his face. The only contrast to his whole look are the scuffed black boots he's wearing. Curious, he thinks to himself. 

"Well?" The question snaps Aiba out of his critique and back to the present.

"I see dead people." He says nonchalant and with a shrug of his shoulders as if it is the most normal thing for a person to experience. The doctor’s expression doesn't change he just nods and scribbles.

"People plural or person singular?" 

"Person. Singular. I think." 

"You think?" The doctor questions again. This time he looks up from where he has been scribbling notes.

"Well, he's the only one I know for sure is dead. I don't really know what dead people look like so...."

"They look surprisingly normal." Sho mumbles as he continues scribbling. His pen making a rather irritating scratching noise against the pad.

"Excuse me Doctor. Uh, Sho."

"Hmmmm?" He finishes writing and with a click of his pen looks up.

"I've just told you I am seeing a ghost. You don't find that strange?" Aiba says not quite sure what to make of this "doctor".

"Masaki. May I call you Masaki?" Aiba nods. "Don't tell anyone I told you this, doctor patient confidentiality and all, but last month I had a woman in here who is clairvoyant. The young girl who was here just before you can move stuff with her mind. Seeing ghosts isn't all that strange or uncommon. Lots of people see ghosts. Most are just unaware of it. What does he look like? Or is it a she?" Sho asks as he adjusts his spectacles on his nose.

"He and what does it matter what he looks like?" Aiba asks cocking an eyebrow at the good doctor.

"Spirits come in all shapes and sizes. Orbs of light. Vapors of mist. Dark shadows." The doctor gets up from his chair and approaches a bookshelf filled with dusty tomes. The spines of most are cracked and faded and covered with a layer of undisturbed dust. He pulls one such book from the shelf, dusts off the cover and flips it open handing it to his new patient. 

Aiba eyes the pages of photographic evidence of the existence of ghosts. He is skeptical of the hazy images and most look like over developed film or dust being caught in the camera flash. Then one image catches his attention. A young woman standing in a group smiling happily and just over her shoulder was the hazy figure of a young boy. Not too blurry to be out of focus, but hazy enough to know he didn't belong. Aiba's pulse starts to quicken and a thin sheen of sweat stipples his brow and upper lip. He stares into the dark, hollow spaces where the boy’s eyes should have been.

"This." He said pointing to the figure. "He looks like this. Like an out of focus picture. I can't see through him, but I can't make out his features clearly either, but..." Aiba lets his voice trail off as he continues to stare at the picture. He can't help but wonder if coming here was a mistake. If what he was about to ask for was even in the realm of possible.

"But?" Sho asks eyeing the man across from him cautiously.

"He doesn't have eyes." Aiba says and the doctor nods his understanding. "Why?" 

Explaining the intricacies of the dearly departed was not always easy. He sets his notebook aside, takes his glasses off and pinches the bridge of his nose. It's a small tactic to buy a little time. A chance to weigh his words.

"You've heard the expression the eyes are the window to the soul?" Aiba nods, a frown forming between his brow. "Apparitions which appear without their eyes are often looking to be reunited with their souls. An apparition is just the manifestation of your former physical being. Your soul, however, is the essence of who you are. Sometimes in death the soul is lost. Torn, if you will, between moving to the next life and staying in this one. This happens most often in violent or unexpected deaths."

"I see." 

"How long ago did he die?" Sho asks not moving his eyes from Aiba's face.

"10 months." Aiba says and again Sho simply nods. He takes up the abandoned pad and thumbs through earlier notes. In a conversation, he'd had with Jun he'd written the specifics of the accident. It had happened 10 months 17 days and Sho checks his watch, roughly 10 hours ago. Sho has seen it a thousand times. A detached soul needing a little push to move on, but in some cases; rare cases, the soul simply could not move on or they had no desire to. 

"Does he try to communicate? Move objects? Speak?" He asks eagerly.

"Can ghosts move things?" Aiba asks and the doctor simply nods. "Oh, umm no I don't think he's moved anything. Sometimes he tries to speak, but I don't hear anything. Mostly he just sits and stares at me." Sho scribbles more notes and then sits back and takes a long look at his patient. 

"When and where did you last see him?" He asks tenting his fingers under his chin.

"This morning at our apartment. I only ever see him at our apartment." Aiba says this last part with a tone of almost bitter annoyance. People have different reactions to seeing the spirits of their loved ones. Some are frightened while some find comfort in it and others still found the daily headache of living with a specter to be a real drag. He was beginning to feel the latter might apply here.

"Masaki, what exactly is it you believe I can do for you?"

"I want you to get rid of him." The answer comes so swift and so blunt Sho's not sure he hears him correctly.

"Get rid of him? As in an exorcism?" He asks and Masaki nods.

"That's more in line for a priest not a..."

"Tried that. Listen doc you’re the only one who can help me. He'll listen to you." Aiba says emphatically.

"How do you know he'll listen to me?" Sho asks and he feels the air around him change; almost coming alive. The hair on his arm now standing on end. He watches as Aiba stands, unfolding his long frame from the chair, and reaches into his back pocket. He extends to him a photograph but Sho does not need to take it to know what the photo details. He already knows. 

"Because he was still in love with you."

 

10 month 17 days and roughly 14 hours ago, ...

Aiba was angry. He sat behind the wheel of the car a scowl set so deep into his face that Nino was seriously afraid that it actually might stay that way. Not that he would blame him if it did. It was his fault; after all, that it looked like that to begin with. This weekend should have gone so differently. They shouldn't be driving back home an entire day early. Nino had planned stuff. Right now, they should be enjoying a nice dinner, he should be getting all sweaty and nervous and he'd had something to confess after all. 

"Masaki slow down." Nino cautioned and out of spite Aiba pressed the accelerator. "You're being unreasonable. Pull over and let me explain." He pleaded.

"I don't need an explanation. I saw the picture." He snapped.

The picture in question was taken just a few months ago, at the faculty Halloween party. In the photo, Nino, dressed as Beethoven was passionately kissing a man dressed as a Ghostbuster. Aiba had met the man dressed in the ridiculous brown jumpsuit on several different occasions when he'd attended various functions with Nino at the university. He was some sort of doctor of the Ph.D. variety, honestly Aiba hadn't cared that much at the time. He knew that Nino and Sho, that was his name, had dated briefly during their first year of college, but Nino had told him that it had ended rather abruptly. Obviously, that had all been a huge pack of lies.

Aiba and Nino had been best friends since childhood and somewhere between their awkward middle school days and high school Aiba had fallen hopelessly in love with his best friend. He'd done his best to keep it a secret, not wanting to ruin their friendship. That was far more important to him than a silly confession of love. However, just two weeks ago, when they'd gone out to celebrate Nino's promotion to Dean of Music he'd had a little too much to drink and had spilled his guts in a rather sloppy yet adorable way.

When Nino had planned a weekend getaway, two things Nino never did: planned or got away, Aiba had been over the moon hoping and praying that it meant Nino had a confession of his own. They drove up to the mountains to the onsen and the first night there had laughed until their sides hurt, ate until they were sick and soaked in the blissful water of the hot springs until their skin was wrinkly and red. And just when Aiba was sure that he couldn't be happier he'd gone to get Nino a t-shirt from his bag and found the picture nestled between a pair of socks and a pair of bright pink underwear.

The ensuing scene hadn't been pretty. There were ugly tears on Aiba's part and Nino's trying to scramble into some clothes as he chased him back to their room desperately trying to explain. Now here they were driving back home way to fast in the dark and the pouring rain and Nino had to fix this.

"Masaki listen to me. Nothing happened. It was a kiss. I was drunk and you know how I get. It meant nothing." Nino tried to explain but the more he explained the angrier Aiba became. He wasn't going to get anywhere if they were driving. Nino knew he should have told the big, goofy oaf beside him how he really felt about him months, hell even years ago, but he hadn't wanted to ruin their friendship. As excuses went it was the most cliché one in the book, but it was all he had.

"You've never kissed me like that. You've never kissed me at all! I tell you I love you, that I've always loved you and you don't reject me but just keep stringing me along. My heart can't take it anymore. When we get home I never want to see you again." Aiba's shattered voice filled the car and Nino's heart broke. What had he done? This kiss with Sho had meant nothing and yet to the man sitting next to him it had broken him and it was all Nino's fault. He could feel his world unraveling, spinning out of control. He couldn't lose Aiba. 

Tears rolled down Aiba cheeks, falling off his chin and landing without a sound in his lap. He had his beautiful lips, one that Nino had always admired and imagined kissing a thousand times, pursed to keep his chin from quivering. His long fingers gripped the steering so tightly the muscles in his forearms stood out and Nino openly admired them. Aiba was beautiful and Nino had spent too long taking both his physical beauty and his beautiful soul for granted. That ended tonight.

"Masaki, I'm sorry. I ..." Nino started, his voice suddenly shaky with emotion.

"I don't want to hear it Nino." Aiba said through gritted teeth.

"Masaki, please, listen to me. I'm trying to tell you that..."

"NO! Just stop!"

"Goddamnit Masaki, I'm trying to tell you I lov... WATCH OUT!!" Nino's warning mixed with the sound of screeching brakes.

 

“You’re sure this is a good idea?” Nino’s voice sounds in Sho’s ears.

“It’s a terrible idea, but it’s what Aiba wants and he’s right. It’s time.” Sho responds as he makes his way down the hall to where he has asked Aiba to meet him.

Aiba has never liked hospitals. He’d been a rather accident prone kid and had spent more nights than he cared to count in one of these rooms. Not to mention this was the place where Nino had died. Though he’d thought it odd that Sho had asked him to meet him here he thought it best not to question the doctor’s methods. He needed his help after all. 

Sho stood outside the door of room 1224. He watched as Aiba made his way toward him noticing for the first time how he seemed to move as if gliding. His gait wide and effortless; graceful even for a man of his height.

“Doctor.” Aiba said. His tone taking an edge of formality indicating nervousness.

“Masaki.” Sho said his name on a shaky breath. There was no going back once they started this. “Are you sure you want to do this? Once we enter this room there is no going back. Are you absolutely certain this is what you want?”

Aiba simply nodded. He needed this to end. Sho took Aiba’s hand, interlacing their fingers, and again Aiba marveled at how cold they were. Sho grasped the handle of the door and slid it open pulling Aiba inside. His ears were immediately assaulted with the beeps and buzzes of various equipment. They stopped just short of the bed and Sho turned to face Aiba, for the last time.

“In death, especially violent ones, a soul can become confused. When it becomes disconnected from its physical body it will continue living, as well as it can, the life it lived before.” Sho’s voice filled the room and Aiba’s eyes locked on the figure in the bed. “It will relive memories; both good and bad. It will especially try to connect with those to which it loved.”

“Is that what happened to Nino?” Aiba’s soulful brown eyes search Sho’s.

“Yes.” He says gently as he ushers Aiba closer to the bed. “But it’s more complicated than that.”

Aiba looks at the man in the bed, his features are drawn and pale. He looks peaceful as if he is sleeping. He does not cry or scream as he recognizes the face to be own.

“Am I…?”Aiba starts but can’t bring himself to say it.

“No, you’re very much alive. Just having what we like to call an out of body experience. You’ve been in a coma since the night of your accident, but it’s time you woke up. You’re kind of like Dorothy and Jun and myself much like the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. You’ll understand when you wake up.”

“And Nino? Is he the Scarecrow.” Aiba asks and Sho smiles. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

“You’re more the Scarecrow now.” Nino says and Aiba watches as he materializes from thin air and perches on the end of the bed. Sho quietly slips from the room, his work done and he’ll see Aiba again soon enough.

“Nino.” Aiba whispers name. “I’m sorry. I ….”

“We don’t have much time. You’re about to wake up and when you do I don’t know how much you will remember, but always remember this. I have loved you my entire life and I love you still. I’ll be with you until I see you again….Scarecrow.”

Two days later …..

The fluorescent lights hurt Aiba’s eyes and the beeps and whirs from the various machines he was hooked up to were starting to wear on his nerves. He heard the door of his room slide open and blinked in surprise at the familiar face standing at the end of his bed. He knew this man, he was sure of it. He was dressed in dark jeans and a simple white button down shirt over which he wears a buttoned heather grey vest. The sleeves of his shirt are rolled up his forearms and on his left wrist is a watch that looks rather expensive. On his nose is a perched a pair of stylish glasses and Aiba wonders if he truly needs them or if they just help him to look the part. He's meticulous. Every hair is even perfectly in place, even the ones hanging slightly in his face. Aiba smiles.

“Aiba, it’s good to see you awake. I’m Dr. Sakurai, but please call me …”

“Sho.” Aiba whispers.

“That’s right.” Sho eyes him curiously. This is the first time in over 10 months he has seen his patient awake and he is certain they’ve never met before now. “This is my colleague Dr. Matsumoto …”

“Jun.” Aiba says his smile widening. The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion he thinks to himself, but he doesn’t really know why. Sho and Jun exchange a look. They’ve seen their share of strange things, but how a man they’d never spoken to before today knew their names was new to them.

“Masaki. May I call you Masaki?” Sho asks and Aiba nods. “Do you know where you are? What happened to you?”

“I was in a car accident. 1o months and uh what is today?” 

“It’s the 24th. December 24th.” Jun answers.

“10 months and 19 days ago.”

“That’s correct. You’ve been in a coma and recovering in the cardiac ICU ever since.” Sho offers.

“Cardiac ICU?” 

“The injuries you sustained in the accident left you with damage to your heart to extensive to repair. You required a transplant. Thankfully we had a donor. You’ll make a full recovery.” Jun rattled off.

“Who’s heart? Who was the donor?” Aiba asks but he feels it. Every beat thrumming inside his chest. He knows this heart. Knows this beat, this rhythm.

“I’m sorry it’s against hospital policy for us to disclose.” Sho states.

“It’s ok doctor. I already know. It’s Nino’s heart. You gave me Nino’s heart.” Aiba says as he places a hand on his chest and feels the pulsing against his palm. Sho looks at the chart, as small gasp of surprise escaping his lips as he passes the chart to Jun. 

Donor: Ninomiya Kazunari. 

Match: 100%


End file.
